Nightmares
by SicTransitGloria.GloryFades
Summary: My nightmares aren't normal. When I have nightmares, people die. People I'm close to. People like my best friend Shelby. Complete, sequel in the works.
1. Chips Ahoy Trey

**Nightmares**

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series or the Blue is for Nightmares series, which I'm borrowing some stuff from- the Nightmares, the psycho killer catchphrase, the little 'Chips Ahoy' type things they say...

AN: Thanks for reading! This chapter's pretty boring, but it gets better. I think. So this chapter's just the OCs… I'll bring everyone else into the plot in the next chapter. Promise! Question: Should I bring the BIFN characters to Hogwarts? Please review and I'll update soon. c:

I hum a song to myself as I walk into my house, flipping lazily through my mail. I pause at a fancy envelope that has my name inked across the front. I open the envelope and reread the letter a dozen times before finally setting it down. I glance out my window, unable to believe that by the end of the summer I'll have to trade my beach house in sunny San Diego, California for a magic school in gloomy England because I'm a witch. The witch part I knew, but I had no idea they had actual magic schools.

A couple weeks later I fly from San Diego to New York and New York to London. I have two suitcases- One's filled with preordered school supplies, the other with everything else. The only thing I'm missing is my wand. I stop at Ollivander's on my way to Kings Cross and try out a few before finding mine- ten and a half inches of smooth, supple redwood with a unicorn hair core. Absolutely gorgeous. I name it Hubert as I make my way inside the station the night before the Hogwarts Express is scheduled to arrive. I stick him in my pocket- though he doesn't quite fit- and stare at the large pillar between platforms nine and ten. I let go of my suitcases and walk around it a few times. I glance down.

"_Et tu, _Hubert?"

Hubert, naturally, doesn't answer. A perfectly good Julius Caesar reference wasted on a stick. I grab my bags, take a couple steps back, and run at- and through, thankfully- the pillar. I try to stop the moment I get to the other side, but my momentum has other plans- I run into a very tall, very gorgeous guy. I nearly fall over, but he catches me by my waist and pulls me upright, holding me close to his body.

"Chips Ahoy," he says in a deep, sexy voice, his hazel eyes melting me.

"Hi," I breathe.

He smiles, and his teeth are dazzlingly bright and perfectly shaped. His hands drop from my waist, and the motion knocks Hubert from my pocket.

"Hubert!" I shout, and dive for him.

"Hubert?"

I dust my wand off, then relocate him to my suitcase. "Yes, Hubert. What else would I name him? And, speaking of names, I'm Kerra."

"Kerra…" he repeats. "I'm Trey. Where are you from?"

"San Diego."

"No way! I just moved there a couple weeks ago!"

"And you live…"

"By San Diego State. That's where I'm going when I graduate Hogwarts."

"Which will be…"

"At the end of this year. Sit?" he asks, motioning to the ground.

We sit down against the wall. "This is going to be my first year."

"Really? How old are you?"

"Fifteen. Sixteen on Halloween," I add.

"That's… Strange. You should be on your fifth year by now," he says, turning away from the train tracks to face me.

"Huh. Weird."

"You're special."

I look at him like he's crazy. "There was probably just some mix-up at the office or something…"

"No, you're just special. I can tell."

"You can?" I whisper, noticing that we'd gradually moved closer and closer, that our noses are almost touching.

"Yeah," he says, leaning in and pressing his lips to my exposed collarbone.

He moves his lips up my neck and along my jaw line before finally pressing them to mine. I try to keep a straight face, but I can't stop the smile that spreads across my lips when I open my mouth. Trey pulls away, laughing. I laugh along, at my own expense, then bite my lip in an attempt to remove the grin plastered to my face.

Trey stands, wipes off his very nice butt, and holds his hand out to me. "Walk with me."

I grasp his hand and let him pull me to my feet. We take turns running through the pillar, then walk out of the stuffy train station into the cool, crisp night air. We spend all night wandering through the city hand in hand, talking about whatever comes to mind. Just before dawn we find ourselves back at Kings Cross. We each grab an extra jacket- for a makeshift pillow- from our bags and set them down a few inches apart. The floor is hard and cold and smells a little off, but I fall asleep nearly the moment my head hits the fuzzy fleece.

_I walk along a dark, empty trail, holding my hands out in front of me so I don't run into anything. Trees tickle my neck, arms, and legs- rocks scratch my bare feet. I hear faint voices that seem to come from the darkness. Little woodland creatures- I hope- rustle around in the trees and bushes. I reach for Hubert but, of course, I don't have him. I feel myself step into a puddle, and the liquid makes the rocks slippery, causing me to fall. I find myself totally submerged and unable to swim. Now that I can taste it, I know it's blood. There's so much blood… I can smell lilies. The death flower._

"_I'm going to find you, Kerra. And I will kill everyone you care about and everyone that cares about you. I'm going to find you…"_

I wake up and cough, drops of blood speckling the ground.


	2. The Truth About Kerra

**Nightmares**

AN: I'll try to update every week… If anyone starts reading… If not I'll update whenever the hell I feel like updating. So make my day. Review.

My coughing wakes Trey up.

"Holy shit, are you okay?" he asks, seeing the blood.

I nod, but can't stop coughing. He retrieves a bottle of water from his suitcase and hands it to me. A big gulp of it stops my coughing.

"Uh… Sorry about that…"

"What happened?"

I shake my head, looking down at the blood spatter. He cups a hand around my jaw and makes me face him. "Talk to me."

Tears start welling up in my eyes- How can I tell him he's going to die? His thumbs wipe at my eyes for me, then he pulls me against his chest, rubbing my back. I see over his shoulder the crowd that's starting to gather. I lean back, wiping my eyes, not wanting people to see.

"We'll talk later," Trey says, getting up and pulling me to my feet. "Okay?"

"Sure," I lie.

My hands shake as I shove my jacket into my bag and hand Trey his water. The shaking gradually stops- After many people see me acting like a druggie going through withdrawals. Ugh. We work- Okay, shove- our way through the mass to the Hogwarts Express, convince the driver to let us on early, and go nab a compartment.

"Huh. Tables."

"New?"

"Yeah," he says, putting his bag on the racks above before helping me with mine.

He motions for me to sit, then slides in on the opposite side. "Talk."

I look out the window. "It's no big deal."

"Kerra…"

"I have nightmares… Premonitions… About murders."

"Yours?"

"Yours, now," I say and bite my bottom lip.

"Do you know who it is?"

"Not really."

"Ker-"

"It might be my ex."

"_Might_ be?"

"It is!" I confess.

"Your ex is going to kill me?" he asks, leaning back.

Away from me. With good reason- Alec, my ex, killed my best friend. Her name was Shelby. I had nightmares about her death for weeks. I tried staying near her every waking moment. But I never thought that my boyfriend would kill her.

"Kerra?"

I was there when it happened, right after Homecoming. I thought it would be good for us to go, to take our minds off her impending death. She had on her crown- Of course she was the Homecoming queen- and a gorgeous red dress. And the friendship necklace I'd given her- I was wearing mine too. I wear them both now. Her hair was the platinum blonde she meticulously maintained, her skin freshly, naturally tanned, her fingernails and toenails done, her makeup flawless…

"Ker?"

Alec called me and asked where I was. He sounded… Manic, I suppose would be the best description. I hadn't told him I was going with Shelby—In fact, I told him I was staying home. Watching movies all night. He told me he was at my house and knew I wasn't there. So I told him we were at the dance. That Shelby surprised me with tickets because she knew I was stressed. I told him everyone was going to IHOP after. That he should come pick us up and take us. That we'd be waiting for him in the parking lot- Just me and Shelby.

"Hello? Kerra?"

A few minutes after we'd convinced everyone we'd get another ride, to just hop in their limos and go, Alec showed up. He pulled up right in front of us. Got out of the car. Kissed me on the lips. Then he pressed my face into his chest, pulled out the gun, and shot Shelby.

"Trey!"

Wait, whoa- What just happened there? I look over at the open door. Three people are standing there- Two guys, one girl. The girl sits down next to me. The black-haired boy sits next to Trey, the red-haired one sits next to him.

"I'm Hermione Granger," the girl says in her delightful accent. "That's Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."

I guess I didn't react the right way. They stare at me. I stare back.

"Kerra's from San Diego, too."

"Ohh…" they say together.

Again with the silence. Hermione finally speaks a minute or so later.

"Maybe we should change into our robes?"

"We barely left the station!" Ron protests.

"So?"

"Let's change!" I say, standing on my seat and digging through my bag.

I grab my uniform and a pair of verging-on-inappropriate heels, toss them to the table, then start stripping. Not stripper-stripping, just taking my shoes and socks off. Which apparently is the wrong thing to do because the Brits stare at me like I'm crazy. Trey just stares at me, period.

"Are you really changing here?"

"Oh, come on, this stopped being awkward in the seventh grade."

I yank my jeans off and pull my skirt on. I change into the rest of my uniform and pull my heels on. Now it's my turn to stare at everyone else.

"Aren't you going to change?"

They all opt to change by themselves. Shocking. I take the time I have alone to check my phone. Some of my friends had texted me asking where I was, was I coming to school, etc. I send out a mass text to everyone saying I've been shipped off to boarding school and that my phone isn't going to get any service where I'm going. A couple people call me and leave messages saying goodbye, that they'll miss me, that they'll kidnap me and take me back home… I pick it up when Leslie calls.

See, Leslie's Shelby's twin sister. We kind of filled in the holes for each other, became each other's Shelby when she was killed.

"Hello?"

"You're leaving?" she asks, her voice sad.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. But I have to go."

"Okay, well… Call me whenever you can."

"I will," I promise. "I gotta go…"

"You're coming back over summer break?"

"Yeah. Then we'll go on that road trip."

"Okay! See you then!"

"Okay, bye!"

I hang up and sigh. I'm pretty sure the fake happiness in my voice was as evident as it was in hers, but I can't go back. I can't be there anymore. And now that I have Trey, I can't not be here.

And something in the back of my mind reminds me that misery loves company.


	3. Alec's Nightmare

**Nightmares**

AN: I know it's been awhile, but no one's been reading. If you want me to continue, please review.

At some point in time, while I'm in my depressed, distracted state, my compartment buddies return. Trey, his hazel eyes looking worried, catches my distant gaze.

"Are you alright?"

"Hm? I'm fine. I'm gonna go for a walk, alright?"

"I'll come with-"

"Stay. Talk with your friends. I'll be fine."

I find a crowded bathroom, shove my way to a stall, and slam it shut. I close the lid on the toilet, sit on it, bring my knees up (in order to accomplish this I kick off my heels), and cry. I'm fine as long as I don't think about Shelby, but when I start, I bawl like a baby. I'm not worried about being quiet about it- The other girls are talking too loudly to hear me. I bury my face into the new, unfamiliar material of my uniform's skirt, and try to block out my thoughts.

_I wipe my eyes, frowning at the smudges of color on my hand. I'll have to redo my makeup, fast. I finish wiping it off so I don't look like a D-list actress from a low-budget horror flick, then open the stall. The other girls are gone, but their voices still ring in my ears. I pause on my way out to splash water on my face and glance in the mirror. I sigh at my sorry reflection, then slip into the long hall. I look up and down, trying to remember where my compartment is. Why can't I remember? I was just there with Trey..._

_I make my way to the front of the train, to the compartment I'm pretty sure we were in, only it's empty. I look around. They're all empty. But I can hear everyone's voices in my ears, fuzzy, like I'm drunk or half asleep or something. I run around, looking in all of the compartments. Empty. Where is everyone?_

_"Kerra."_

_I turn. "Trey! Where is everyone?"_

_"They're gone, Kerra. Gone because of you."_

_"No. No! I didn't mean for them to die! I-I-"_

_"They're dead, Kerra. Just like me."_

_"You're not-"_

_I stop speaking as his blood shows, seeping through his shirt, forming a bloody cloud over his heart. He falls to the ground, and I see Alec, holding a gun._

_"I told you, Kerra. Told you that I'd get off easy, that the court would be lenient. I told you to wait for me. I told you I'd come back for you. I went to your house, Kerra. I know you went to that magic school. Do you think you're safe there? Do you, Kerra? You should know by now that you're only safe with me. I loe you, Kerra."_

_He'd been moving closer while he spoke, so that now he is mere inches from me. We're both standing in the pool of Trey's blood. It seep between my bare feet, feeling warm and alive. I step back, he takes another step forward. Over Trey's body. I reach out and point his gun at my chest._

_"Kill me."_

_"You know I won't."_

_"I'm not going to be with you, so you might as well kill me."_

_"Ahh, Kerra... I'll be in London tomorrow night. I expect to see you there, or else I'll come looking for you at that school of yours. And you don't want that, do you? How would your boyfriend here feel about that?"_

_I know what he wants me to say, so I say it. "He's not my boyfriend. You are. It's always been you."_

_He kisses me softly, his hands drawing me close, the gun making me shiver as it slides over the bare skin at the small of my back. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kerra."_

_"I love you," I say, trying to sound convincing._

_Turns out, it's hard to sound convincing when your voice is muffled by your killer boyfriend's chest._

_"You know I love you. Don't make this harder than it has to be."_

I wake up shivering and wipe at the dried tears. I slide back into my heels and strut out, into a crowd of staring girls. Hermione pushes through, grabs me, and yanks me out of the bathroom.

"What did I do?" I ask, trying to play innocent.

"You were screaming about dead people, how everyone was gone, How it wasn't your fault."

"I just had a nightmare, that's all!" I shout as we're immersed in yet another crowd.

Trey's hand finds mine, and he pulls me into our compartment, Hermione close behind me. I let him hold me, but make no effort to return the gesture. He releases me.

"Are you alright? Was it one of _those _nightmares? You're not coughing up blood."

"No, it wasn't. It was Alec's nightmare."

"Alec's? How is that possible?"

"Alec sees things too. And on top of that he can make you have whatever nightmare he thinks up," I say in a monotone voice.

"What did he do?" Trey whispers softly.

They're all watching me. Him, Hermione, the redhead kid, and the one with the glasses. I'm not usually this bad at names.

"He killed you. Killed you all. I watched you bleed to death, Trey, and I stood in your blood while you died. And I begged him to kill me, and all he did was kiss me. And then I woke up," I say, not wanting to mention the rest of it.

"I'm so sorry, Ker," Trey says, stroking my back.

And all I can think about is the cold gun sliding over my skin where his hand is.


	4. Midgets and a Sorting

**Nightmares**

AN: There's a poll on my profile that you can check out. No! Not yet! Read the chapter first! This is the second chapter today, I feel so accomplished.

Despite the fact that everyone is talking about my little episode in the bathroom, the rest of the train ride is uneventful. I try not to sit too close to Trey. It's just not happening, not with Alec still running around. Alec. I have to go back to London tomorrow? How am I going to manage that?

"Are you guys getting anything?" the redhead- uh, Ron- asks.

There's a woman with a cart of goodies standing outside. I cringe. I don't trust strangers with candy. I pull out my box of Godiva chocolates and pop one in my mouth. When the candy lady's gone I hold the box out.

"You guys can have some, if you want."

Trey moves a lock of my wavy brown hair behind my ear, out of my eyes. I don't meet his gaze.

"Please stop with the silent treatment, Kerra. I'm not worried. We'll be safe at Hogwarts."

"At least it's not Voldemort," Harry says, inspecting a chocolate.

"Sorry, I don't get the reference."

"Voldemort was a horrid wizard who killed alot of people, including Harry's parents," Hermione says.

"Oh. Sorry, Harry."

"It's alright," he says, going for another chocolate.

"So, Quidditch..." Ron says, in an effort to change the subject, I suppose.

"Right. You going to try out for Keeper this year, Trey?"

"Maybe. It would be a nice change from being a Chaser."

I contemplate asking them what the hell they're talking about, but I don't really feel like getting into it. Instead I grab another chocolate and check my phone. I still have service, but barely. I go through my texts. The most recent is from Alec, which includes the address of the hotel he'll be staying at and a quick note that he loves me. I let him know I love him too (FALSE!) and put my phone away. Trey must've seen something in my eyes, a reaction to the text.

"That was Alec, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Trey, that was the psycho."

"What'd he say?"

"Just that he loves me."

I'm not fond of all this lying.

"Oh."

"Yes, I told him I loved him, too. That's what you do with crazy people. You give them what they want."

"Do you?"

"I did," I say. "But how heartless would I have to be to love the person who killed my best friend?"

"Fair enough."

"I would appreciate it if you would just drop it. It's not something I like to dwell on."

"I'm sorry, Ker, just be patient with me. I'm learning."

He looks so sad and frustrated. All because of me. I lean up against him and kiss his jawline. He strokes my hair absentmindedly. We stay like that until the Express pulls to a stop, and we have to get off. I get stuck in a boat with a bunch of midgety first years. I swear I wasn't this short four years ago. And I'm pretty sure I had boobs. But that's besides the point. The point is, they're staring me down, and midgets scare the shit out of me. They'd scare you too if you weren't entirely sure they didn't have the ability to escape the confines of the television and kill you while you're asleep. Is it wrong that I'm more afraid of midgets than I am of Alec, an actual killer? Possibly. Tells you a little something about me, doesn't it?

"I'm Alodia," one of them says.

She has long white-blonde hair, large grey eyes. She looks like a gymnast, or a dancer, or something. I realize I'm staring, and smile.

"My name's Kerra."

"You were the one screaming on the train. You're tall."

"Uhm, yeah. Well, I'm fifteen."

"So why are you with all of us first years?"

"Well, this is my first year here. My... Friend thought I should go with you."

"Oh. You're my brother's age."

I go through the list of people I know. Well, Hermione's a girl. Trey doesn't have a sister. She's too fair to be Harry's sister, not ginger enough to be Ron's.

"I don't know him."

"You don't want to. He's hard to get along with."

"Everyone always says that about their siblings."

"Don't you have any?"

"A half sister. but she's been at college for three years."

"Oh. You're lucky."

"He can't be that bad..."

I trail off as we arrive at the castle. Hogwarts. Freaking ginormous. I follow the midgets, who follow a reeeeeally tall guy, up to the castle. It's nice to get inside, out of the harsh, biting wind. I look aroud, trying to see if the others are here, but it's still just me and the midgets. The tall, scruffy (and not in a good way) guy leads us to a large room, where four long tables take up the majority of the space. We're told to line up alphabetically- I grimace and take my spot towards the front of the line. Okay, I'm the second person in line. Just get it done and over with, Kerra Madeline Avery.

The first kid, a scared, scrawny little boy, goes up and the hat calls out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Whatever the hell that means. He gets off his stool, and I start inching forward.

"Avery, Kerra!"

I click-clack up to the stool and plop my skirted butt down on it. Someone places a hat on my head, and I start hearing a voice. Okay, hearing voices, definitely not a good sign.

"So... Which house will I put you in?"

"I dunno what's going on, Mr. Hat, sir. Do you know Trey Donahue?"

"Trey Donahue, yes, the Gryffindor from the states."

"If you could kindly put me in Gryffindor with him, that would be wonderful."

"That's not really how it works."

"Okay, well, what are my options?"

"Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff."

"Odd names. Just stick me in whatever. I'll be the best no matter which one you put me in."

"Ambitious. Cocky. Like a Slytherin."

"Well, put me in there, then."

"But too good to be a Slytherin."

"Then put me in... What did you call it? Ravenpuff?"

"Ravenclaw? You're not hardly studious."

"Did they show you my report card from last year? Because I swear someone hacked the system and messed up my perfect GPA."

"You're too much for Hufflepuff."

"So put me in Gryffindor, damn it."

"Gryffindor it is. GRYFFINDOR!"

I wince at the loud sound, remove the hat, and glance around. Trey stands up, cheering, followed by Harry and Ron and Hermione. I head straight for Trey and wrap my arms around him.

"Can we sit yet? Everyone is staring."

He smiles and kisses me before we sit down.


	5. Dreaming About Alec

**Nightmares**

AN: I feel bad for neglecting this for so long so I've been updating it alot. Third chapter in two days, Shuu! I had it written down somewhere but I lost it so I'm making it up as I go along. I thank you for reading. :)

I really don't care for all the attention I've been getting. The stares, the whispers... I really need to figure out how to control these nightmares. And, more importantly, block out Alec.

Alec. I did love him, once upon a time. Maybe, somewhere deep down inside me, somewhere I'm trying not to let surface, I still love him. You can't have as much history as we have and not feel something for eachother. Okay, so he killed my best friend, and that makes me heartless. I'm fine with that.

I can't close my eyes without seeing his face. The short but soft blond hair, his warm brown eyes, his defined jawline... I bite my lip. No. He killed Shelby. He. Killed. Shelby. I bury my face into my bed, the one next to Hermione's. She's asleep, been asleep since we got up here a coupe hours ago. Me, I'm a troubled soul. It takes me hours to quiet my thoughts and fall asleep. Unless a nightmare's in store, then I pass out. I guess I should consider this a good sign.

I want to pull out my iPod, to put on some music, so I can lull myself to sleep. But it's dead, and I can't charge it here. I groan, roll over, and stare up at the ceiling. That's when I feel it welling up inside me. Nightmare sleep. Black mists cloud over my view of the already dark room and swallow me up.

_I sit up and glance around. Alec's there, waiting in the shadows. I miss you. God, how I miss you... He approaches me slowly, his gun flashing in his waistband._

_"Lose the gun," I say._

_He takes it out and drops it on the floor. I stand up right when he reaches me, so that I'm pressed against him._

_"I'm so mad at you for killing her," I say as I wrap my arms around him. "I'll never forgive you for it. But I still love you."_

_"I'm sorry, Kerra. I just did it for us. She was getting in the way of us."_

_"Don't start to make excuses. They don't make anything better, just worse."_

_Alec pulls away a little so he can lean down and kiss me. I kiss him back, wrapping my arms around his neck._

_"I missed you. Can you just stay? I won't get back to sleep if you let this nightmare go."_

_"You stil call this a nightmare? I think it's more like a dream."_

_"Alec..."_

_"Yes?"_

_"Can we just go to bed now?"_

_I fall to the bed and scoot under the covers. Alec gets in bed next to me and wraps his arms around me, his chin resting on top of my head._

_"Better?"_

_"Mhm. Just talk to me, would you?"_

_"I'll do one better."_

_He sings me a bunch of my favorite songs before finally disappearing._

My dream dissolves, and I wake up. I smile and whisper a quiet thanks to Alec.

"What was that?" Hermione asks.

"Nothing, nothing."

I open my eyes and see that she's fully dressed, but not in uniform, and is tapping her toe impatiently.

"What?"

"Trey wanted me to come up here and get you. I've been trying to wake you for an hour!"

Right. Trey. My daytime boyfriend. I smirk when I think of my response.

"Why didn't you have him come wake me up? See how good of a job he can do?"

"I am not going to get into that."

"I'll be down in ten."

I glance down and see the greasy ends of my hair. Huh. I could've showered last night.

"Uhm, make that half an hour."

I grab a change of clothes- a white tank, a loose black zip-up sweatshirt, my yellow skinny jeans- and hit the showers. I spend a little longer than planned under the steamy spray, but it's worth it. After a thorough scrubbing to remove everything from the past two days, I towel off and get dressed, zipping my sweatshirt up to an inch below my chest before brushing my hair. God, how I wish I could use a blowdryer. I settle for running some product through my hair and applying a bit of makeup before I grab my saltwaters- the ones with the yellow straps, to match my jeans- and run downstairs. Trey's waiting in one of the cushy seats set up around the fireplace.

"Sorry I took so long."

Trey cups his hand around my jaw and pulls my lips to his.

"Mmm. Good morning to you, too."

"I hear you slept well?"

"Like a rock."

"I had a dream about you."

I grin through my lie. "Same here."

Trey's eyes grow hard. "That's not what I heard."

I silently damn Hermione to the fiery pits of hell. "Okay, Alec was there in the beginning, but then he left."

I'm getting better. That wasn't a total lie.

"Oh. So what do you want to do today?"

I smile and kiss him.

"I could think of a few things," I whisper against his lips, running a finger down the front of his shirt.

He laughs "How about something we could do with our friends?"

"Well..."

"Don't start. I don't even want to go there."

"Good. Let's go up to your room."

"Hey, guys, we're going to play some Quidditch outside. You coming?" Ron asks, approaching us, but not getting within five feet of us.

I frown at Ron, then look back up at Trey.

"You wanna go, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Fine... Let's go..."

"Later," Trey whispers.

"Can't. Busy."


	6. Quidditch and Room 521

**Nightmares**

AN: Comments/suggestions always open. Thankies! Also, after this chapter I should meet the word requirement for being a Beta, so I'll be your Beta if you want.

Quidditch. Thanks to Trey and Ron's long explanation on our way outside, I know what it is. Sort of. You hop on a broom, fly around, and try to score goals while being attacked by flying balls. I don't see the point either. But somehow I got roped into playing it. Okay, I know exactly how that happened. Each team needs seven players. And there's Trey, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ron's brothers, Fred and George, twins. That's six. Six plus me.

I frown down at the broom Harry'd lent me. Needless to say, I dunno how to work these things. I got the "up" thing down, but that's about it. I'm supposed to be a Chaser, me and Ron and Hermione. I'm not too keen on the idea, if you really want to know the truth. I am going to make myself look retarded. No doubt about it.

"Get on," Trey says, getting on the back of the broom.

"Gotta tell you, this seems hazardous to my health," I say, but get on.

His hands reach around me and grab the front of the broom. I follow his lead. And then he kicks off from the ground and I swear my heart stops. Stops, that is, until I let out a long, high-pitched scream.

"Shh, shh," Trey whispers in my ear.

I take another breath and scream again.

"Kerra! Jesus Christ, it's alright!"

"I would like to be back on the ground now!"

"Kerra, put your feet down."

Turns out, we're about a foot off the ground. I untangle my legs from their death grip on the broom and place my feet on the ground.

"Give me a heart attack, why don't you?"

"Okay, then, do it yourself," he challenges, getting off.

I take a couple of deep breaths before leaning forward. It takes off too quickly, and I fall off of it.

"Bitch," I say, glaring at the broom. "Should use you for firewood."

I stand, wiping myself off, and stomp over to the broom. I grab it off the ground and straddle it.

"Now, you listen to me. I'd rather be inside with Trey, but he wants to be out here playing this stupid game. So you're going to behave, and we're going to get this over and done with so I don't feel totally ridiculous in front of one of my boyfriends. Alright? Get it, got it, good?"

I kick off from the ground, pulling the front of the broom towards my body. We rise at an angle proportional to the angle that the broom's at. Wow. Math. Okay, this is fairly simple.

"Got it!" I call. "We can start now!"

We play another group of Gryffindors, seven kids I've seen but don't know by name yet. After about an hour of me flying around with mediocre talent, Harry comes out of nowhere with the Snitch. I breathe a sigh of relief and zoom toward the ground, pulling up a few feet short of smashing my face into the ground and consuming copious amounts of dirt. I roll off it, letting out a little oof as I hit the ground.

"You alright?" Trey asks, touching down beside me.

"Why? You wanna make me feel better?"

Trey smiles and helps me up. "Cute."

"I could use a shower. How about you?"

"Nah. I'm good."

"If you keep rejecting my advances like that, I'm gonna start thinking that you don't like me."

"Just not yet, okay? We will, just not yet."

The seven of us trek up to our common room before splitting up according to the sexist principles of the school. I roll my eyes at the thought. I'm losing it, I really am.

"You played well today, Kerra."

"Oh. Thanks. You too, Hermione."

We head straight for the showers, where I realize my hair is a tangled mess from all the flying. Ugh. I shower quickly and get dressed again, this time in dark blue skinnies and a lime green tank. I have a bazillion tanks and skinnies.

"Hey, Hermione?" I ask while vigorously attacking a knot. "Uhm, about Trey... I was just wondering..."

"What is it?"

"Just, has he had alot of girlfriends? Does he move on fast?"

"Not really. He had a girlfriend a couple of years ago, but I think that's it."

Crap. My traitorous ways are going to hurt him.

"Uhm... Did they ever..."

"I don't know for sure, but I don't think so."

Craaaaap. My traitorous ways are going to kill him.

"You didn't..."

"Hm? Oh, no. I was just curious."

I finish brushing my hair and go back to the common room, where I manage to coerce a kid about my age into fetching Trey for me. He smiles when he sees me and comes close enough to kiss me before I remember what I'm doing and step back.

"Trey..."

I glance around the crowded room. "Follow me."

We go out to an empty hallway. "I love you, Trey, and I just needed to tell you that before I have to tell you that we cant be together."

"What? Why not?"

"You know I love you. Don't make this harder than it has to be," I say, repeating what Alec had said to me during the nightmare.

"Is it the sex thing?"

"Of course not. But I'm going to do something that would just kill you if we were together."

"Then don't."

"You don't know what you're asking me to do."

"I'm asking you to spend the night with me."

"I'd like to. I would. But I can't do that."

Trey pulls me close to him and kisses me, his hands running through my hair.

"Please don't," I say, pulling away.

The tears are starting to well up in my eyes. No, not yet. Not here. Trey wipes at my eyes for me, and I start crying more.

"It's Alec, isn't it?"

"I have to go," I say, pulling away from him and running back up to my room melodramatically.

I pull my comforter around me to form a cocoon. Hermione shakes me a couple of times over the course of the day, trying to coax me out, but I pretend to be asleep. I pop out of my comforter coccoon only when I hear the steady breathing of my sleeping roommates. Now, to get to London...

I'm on my way out of the castle when I remember that I still have the broomstick Harry lent me. Genius. I go back upstairs- all these stairs are a great workout- and grab the broom. I follow the Hogwarts Express's tracks back to London. I know where Alec's staying by heart. I memorized the address he texted me. I land in an alley around the corner from the hotel and walk up. I take the elevator to the fifth floor and walk down the hall.

"Five twenty-one, five twenty-one," I whisper as I glance at the numbers on the doors.

There it is. His room. The number 521 stares down at me. I look down, gulp, and knock on the door.

"Kerra," Alec says, whipping the door open after mere seconds.

"Can I come in?"

He walks back into the room and I follow him, closing the door softly behind me.


	7. Never Do Someone You'll Regret Later

**Nightmares**

AN: Yet another chapter! :) I feel better now that people are reading or at least looking at it. Thank, guys. Also... Rose, my BFF and only reviewer... You're the best. Did anybody yell "Don't do it, Kerra!" toward the end of the last chapter? I did. Haha.

I reach my hand out from the tangle of sheets to smack the alarm clock. It's 3 a.m. Alec groans and buries his face deeper into my hair.

"Alec... I have to go. School."

"Mmph. Will you come back tonight?"

"If I can sneak out again."

I roll out of bed and pick my clothes up off the floor.

"I brought you a change of clothes. In my bag," Alec says.

I pick up his bag and glance inside. Skinnies and a tank.

"You know me so well," I say, smiling.

I get dressed and go to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Alec comes up behind me, boxer briefs low on his hips, and wraps his arms around my waist. I spit into the sink and rinse before turning to kiss him.

"I'll see you later, okay?" I ask, pulling away to search for my Converse.

"Under the bed."

"Thanks, sweetie."

I yank them on and kiss Alec one last time before I leave out the window on my broom. It takes me about an hour to get back to Hogwarts, where everyone's still asleep. I kick off my jeans, pull on some cotton short-shorts and curl up in bed. It's easy for me to get back to sleep. Luckily, I didn't wake up entirely from my sleep. And maybe I'm not entirely sober after last night's drinking binge. Alcohol helps with the nightmares.

I wake up to Hermione shaking me. Shaking, and shouting, "Where did you go last night?"

Now, I'm sure you can imagine how disorienting this is.

"Uhm, bed?" I mumble groggily.

"I know you left. Where. Did. You. Go?"

"Well, you see, I work for the CIA."

"Firstly, I have no idea what that is. Secondly, I highly doubt it."

"Oh, good, that means I'm doing my job right."

"Why did you break up with Trey and where did you go?"

"I'm not authorized to disclose that information," I mumble.

"Kerra, please just tell me," she says, calming down.

"I can't be with Trey. We talked about it."

"Did you go see Alec?"

Yeah."

"And you... Spent the night with him?"

"Yeah."

"That's not good."

"Decidedly not. But if I avoid him, he'll come here and kill you all."

"You can't see him again."

"I can, and I will."

"Kerra!"

"Could you tone it down? I'm a little hungover."

"You were drinking, too?"

"Don't start with that holier-than-thou tone. Now, I'm going to go get breakfast."

I get dressed in my uniform and head downstairs for breakfast. It takes everyone all of about ten seconds to descend upon me. Well, almost everyone. Trey shoots me a sad glance before sitting down further down the table. I glance around at the insta-mob.

"What do you want?"

"What do you mean, what do we want? It's kind of obvious, isn't it?" Harry asks.

"Look at him moping- It's pathetic- Depressing, really," Fred and George say.

"He won't say anything more than "yes" or "no". He just doesn't want to do anthing," Ron adds.

"Well, I slept with Alec. Tell him. See what he has to say about that."

"You didn't!" Harry and Ron say.

"Wait, who's- This Alec bloke?"

"Her ex, who happened to kill her best friend," Hermione says.

"Oh," the twins say.

"Well, someone tell him," I say.

Ron's the last to say "not it". He drags his feet about it.

"Why don't you tell him?"

"Because that's just mean."

"Come on, Ronald- You can do it- He might not kill you."

Ron gulps and walks over to Trey. He spits the words out quickly, then turns and runs back. I know I shouldn't look, but I do anyway. Trey looks up, his beautiful hazel eyes all filled with hurt and disbelief. I bite my lower lip and look away. I can feel tears working their way out of my tear ducts. I get up from the table in a hurry and run out of the Great Hall. My sight's not good enough to continue running, so I slow down to a walk. I turn the corner and run into Alodia and a boy who I can only assume is her brother.

"Kerra? Are you alright?" Alodia asks.

I shake my head and shove past them. He grabs my arm. "Hang on."

"Let go of her, Draco," Trey says, leaning against the corner.

"Why? You've obviously upset her."

"Kerra."

"No. It's true, Trey, what he told you. I flew to London last night- thanks for teaching me how to fly, by the way- and spent the night with Alec."

"Did you just spend the night, or did you have sex with him?"

I jerk my arm away from Draco and continue walking down the hall.

"Kerra!" he calls, running after me. "Please talk to me!"

I stop and turn. He bumps into me.

"Sorry," he says, steadying me, his hands holding my arms.

"I'm sorry. I regret it so, so much."

"I forgive you, I do, just promise not to leave me again."

I cry even more, my vision getting fuzzier. "Please, I don't want him to kill you. I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen."

"I'll kill him first, how about that?"

"I don't want you to turn into a criminal. That won't solve anything."

"I'm going to find a way to make it work, Kerra. I promise."


	8. My Potion Popped

**Nightmares**

AN: Going a couple days into the future for a paragraph here, then back for the rest of the chapter. Enjoy. :)

_Today._

I suppose you want to know how I wound up on this pathetic excuse for a bench in a pathetic excuse for a cell in this godforsaken jail, sandwiched between Alec, Draco, and Trey. Well, if you really must know, this is how it happened...

_Three days ago._

"I promise."

Trey kisses me, his thumbs wiping the tears from my eyes. When he pulls away, his eyes search mine, asking silent questions. I cock my head.

"What is it?"

He never gives me a verbal answer, just takes my hand and leads me up to his room. For the record, we don't do anything until everyone else is in class. The problem with that is we're both mondo-late to our first classes. I take a breath before inching open the door to Potions and sliding into the classroom.

"How nice of you to finally join us, Miss Avery."

"Sorry, I overslept."

I have got to stop lying so much.

"Take your seat next to Miss Granger."

Granger. Uhmm... I glance around. No one's sitting next to Hermione.

"Right-o," I say, dropping my bag on the table, taking the seat to her left, and glancing at her.

She's concocting something in her cauldron. I am so going to love this class. Just like Chemistry last year when I created a little flash fire that caused the fire alarm to go off... Okay, so a bunch of us got some really painful burns (note, the scar on my left forearm), but it was fun. And we got out of class. And there were some _really_ hot firemen on duty that day. Good times. Hermione snaps her fingers in front of my face.

"Care to help?"

"Don't you want to know where I was?" I whisper, so the creepy teacher guy can't hear.

What's his name, Snake? I check my schedule. Snape. Close enough.

"You were sleeping?"

"With Trey."

"Oh, my goodness. What're you going to do about Alec?"

"A little less chit-chat, a little more working," Snake/Snape says.

"Yessir," I say, passing Hermione a bottle of something that I really hope isn't what I think it is.

"So you're back together?" she asks, taking the bottle and setting it on her side of the table.

"Ish."

"Ish?"

"Sort of. I mean, we will be when we figure out what to do about-"

"Five points from Gryffindor!"

"-Alec," I whisper out of the corner of my mouth, glancing up at Snake.

He is so lucky I'm totally blissed out after being with Trey. So instead of telling him off, I feign innocence by cocking my head, giggling, and running a hand through my hair. Snake continues to stare at me with a not-so-nice expression until turning his gaze on another student. Yeesh. Okay, so I won't get an A in _this_ class... Hermione rolls her eyes and continues adding stuff and stirring it in. I glance in the book. _Draught of Living Death. _Great. I am so not in the mood to be a zombie. I move on to the next line. _Causes the user to fall into a deep sleep. _I could so use some of this. Maybe I'll sneak some out.

"Kerra? Can you hand me that vial? The one on your left?"

I grab it and pass it over, my gaze lingering on Ron and Harry, whose table is to the left. Their potion is orange. I peer into our cauldron. Purple. Look at the book. Purple. Someone is in need of my super assistance! I, Nightmare Girl, shall help them! I roll my eyes at myself. Gotta work on that. I crouch down, scooch across the floor, and plop down between the two boys.

"Hey, uhm, your potion? It needs some work. It looks like Ron's hair," I whisper.

Ron self-consciously touches his hair and blushes. Harry frowns.

"We put all the ingredients in, though."

"Too much yellow."

"What?" Harry asks, looking very confused.

"What's yellow got to do with anything?"

"Red and yellow, my dear Ronald, makes orange. Red and blue makes purple. Also, it could use a little black. Think about it."

"What're you ramblling on about?"

"Color math! Just do it, would you?"

I pop my head up while Snake's looking away. The potion goes poof when the red stuff goes in, fizzes when the blue stuff goes in, and pops when Ron adds the black stuff. My potion popped. How very unsatisfying. I expected more from it. A bang or boom, perhaps?

This all proves to be unimportant, as the pop causes Snake to turn around and stare me down. This is gonna be one rough year.

"Out of your seat, Miss Avery? Shouldn't you be working on your potion?"

"Well, Hermione's got that covered. My services were needed more here."

"This is not a group project, this is a partner project. You shouldn't need help from the whole class."

"Firstly, I didn't need help from anyone. Secondly, I'd hardly consider myself the whole class. For instance, there's..."

Okay, so I don't really know anyone in the class.

"Draco," I say, spotting him.

Draco looks at me suspiciously. I shrug.

"Five more points from Gryffindor. Not off to a good start, now are we?"

"That depends. Is the potion right?"

Snake pauses and glances at it. Leans over it for a quick sniff.

"Despite your unorthodox methods, yes."

I swipe some for future use and gloat to myself on my way out the door. The rare celebration is interrupted by Alodia. She's frowning at me. Well, isn't this a fine turn of events?

"Okay, I'll bite, what'd I do?"

"My brother likes you."

I continue down the hall. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Dakota Fanning in _Uptown Girls_?"

I glance back. She's following me. Super. "Yes, and don't say it again. So, do you like him?"

"I don't even know him, Alodia."

"I could arrange for you to meet him."

I cringe. "We already met, remember?"

"That wasn't a _real _meeting."

"Real enough for me."

"Oh, come on!"

I bite my lip. "Look, tell him I'm with Trey Donahue."

I don't even want to start with the Alec situation.

Alodia sighs. "He _hates _Trey Donahue."

"Perfect. I'll see you around!"

I book it up a shifting staircase and head down a random hallway, getting lost in the process but getting out of talking about my love life more. I'm late to class again- I swear, I have just fallen apart- but luckily the Professor doesn't notice. I'll tell you who does, though- my table partner, Draco.


	9. I Thought I Saw a Bug

**Nightmares**

AN: Spent the weekend writing, hiking, and watching Le Pacte Des Loups. Great movie. This chapter's short, I know.

"You're late."

"I'm aware of that."

"Fucking Donahue again?"

"_Excuse me_?"

"You heard me."

"Not that it's any of your business, but no. I was talking to your sister."

"_Alodia_? Why?"

"You know."

I turn away from him, trying to block him out.

"No, I don't. Tell me."

I turn back to him, pucker up, and make obnoxious kissy noises. He blushes. I consider my job done and lean back in my seat.

"Look, I'm already dating two guys. I'm playing enough of the field."

"Who? Aside from Donahue."

"Alec Morrison. No, he doesn't go here, and you don't know him."

"Are you that easy?"

"You don't know what I'm going through," I say, looking away as tears start to sting in my eyes.

"Enlighten me."

"It's none of your business."

"You're right."

I take the following silence as a good sign and ignore him for the rest of the class. He leaves in a hurry when the bell rings, and Hermione and I walk together to Herbology, our next class. The professor approaches us as soon as we walk in.

"Kerra Avery? The headmaster would like to see you, dear."

I frown. Getting sent to the principal's office on the first day, never a good sign. Hermione escorts me to Dumbledore's office, where the headmaster is already waiting with Trey.

"Good afternoon, Miss Avery. I suppose you're both wondering why I called you here?"

I nod noncommittally. I'm going to be doing alot of nodding in the next few minutes, so bear with me. Dumbledore proceeds to prattle on about getting a well-rounded education (while I nod along like I totally understand what he's talking about), then switches over to social interaction. I bite my lip. I think I know where this is going. I nod again. Then I start planning my escape. The window! I could go out the window! Totally original, no, but it'd get the job done. I swear I'm leaning towards the window when I hear something about the physical aspects of a relationship and leap for it. The window, naturally, is locked, so I just crash into it. Damn window.

"Kerra? What're you doing?" Trey asks.

See, I sort of have these delusions sometimes that I'm invincible. But it's hard to feel invincible when you're sitting on the floor in an awkward position. I untangle myself, clear my throat, and return to standing a good foot or so away from Trey.

"I thought I saw a bug."

"Did you hear what I said?"

I nod emphatically. "Yessir."

"You're both on lockdown at night until further notice."

"Alright."

"Okie dokie," I say.

"You may return to class now."

Trey follows me out of the office.

"I wonder who told," he says, taking my hand.

"Draco."

"What?"

"Uhm... Yup."

"You told him we had sex? What the hell, Kerra? That's supposed to be between you and me."

"I didn't tell him, Trey. I wouldn't. He already knew. I guess he was trying to blackmail me."

"Blackmail you into doing _what_?"

"Guess."

"Dating him?"

"Bingo."

"Did you tell him about Alec?"

"Not what he did, no."

"We can't have him poking around, Ker-"

"I told Hermione."

"What?"

"I told Hermione that we had sex."

"You're girls, you talk, I get it. What're we doing about Malfoy?"

"Malfoy?"

"Draco."

"Oh. I dunno. Meet me later to talk about it?"

Trey kisses me and swings the door to the Herbology room open.

"Okay. See you later."

"Love you," I whisper before slipping inside.

I take my seat, pausing to glare at Draco.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asks.

"I strongly dislike Draco Malfoy."


	10. Practically a Ninja

**Nightmares**

AN: Huh. I don't have anything to say. Comments? Suggestions? Complaints? Review, PM, email, etc. This fic'll be done in another... Oh, five chapters or so. But of course there'll be a sequel.

Trey and I meet at lunch at the end of the Gryffindor table. I have a stellar idea. Well, one that's mediocre and one that's a little better.

"Option one, we go on the run. Change our names."

"Does that really solve our problem?"

"No. Option two, Draco Malfoy."

"What _about _Draco Malfoy?" Trey asks, sounding a little pissed.

"I love you, quit with the jealousy. I'm not letting you anywhere near Alec, you understand that, right?"

"I could take him, Kerra."

"I don't trust either you or him not to kill each other. Let's get everyone out of this alive, hm?"

"Fair enough."

"So, Malfoy goes in your place."

I point my fork over in the Slytherin's general direction before taking another bite of salad.

"And why would he agree to this?"

"Look, I'm not worried about Draco. You, I'm scared to death about. Anything to get him to do it."

"Anything?"

Again with the puppy dog face...

"Aside from having sex with him. I might have to go on a couple dates with him. Kiss him. I'm sorry, Trey, but-"

"It's fine as long as you come back to my bed at night."

I lean across the table to kiss him. "Deal."

"So, tell me more about your plan. What're you going to have Draco do to Alec?"

This part I come up with off the top of my head.

"Well, we go to a bar. Somewhere we're not supposed to be since we're minors. I introduce Draco as my boyfriend, Draco aggravates Alec, and Alec attacks him. Security'll stop us, realize we're minors, and cart us all off to jail."

"_Why_ do you want to go to jail?"

"Hey, that's just how the plan works, alright?"

"Fine. How're you getting Alec there?"

"I'll call him."

"Isn't that suspicious? Like a set up?"

"Fine."

Insert light bulb moment here.

"You call him! Tell him you know what he did, and how I broke up with you, and how you want Draco out of the picture. That you'd rather I be with him because Draco's using me."

"Wow. And you just came up with that?"

"Uhm, yes?"

"That worries me."

"I have an overactive imagination. Okay, it worries me, too."

"I'm more worried about your role in this plan of yours. He'll probably have a gun on him."

"He won't hurt me, Trey."

"Alright..."

"Hey, let's go up to your room."

"_Now_? We just did it this morning!"

I reach under the table and rub his thigh.

"Please? I'm all mega-stressed out about this. I could use the release."

"If you don't stop touching me I'm going to have to go along with this."

I grin. "Let's go. We probably don't have all that much time left."

"Ten minutes. It'll probably take us five minutes to get up there and to class after. Five minutes isn't really enough."

"Fine... Before dinner?"

"You got it."

Classes are so much longer when you're waiting for them to be over so you can get laid. I totally rock at Muggle Studies (go figure) and fail at History of Magic (can't say I didn't see that coming) before being released for the day. I run into Trey on the staircase that leads up to the Gryffindor tower.

"Hey," I get out before he kisses me passionately.

"You faker! You want this as much as I do!" I say, pulling away for the sake of the little kids coming up behind us.

"You've got me. Legilimens."

The portrait of the Fat Lady swings open and we climb inside. There are only a few Gryffindors in the common room, most working on homework. We sneak up to Trey's room without being spotted.

"_Colloportus_," he says, flicking his wand at the door.

I pull him to his bed, and, well, I'll spare you the details. Afterwards, I curl up against him and doze off. Without having a nightmare, thankfully. He wakes me up with a kiss, which is absolutely delightful.

"We can stay here, or we can go to dinner."

"As much as I'd love to stay, I'm starved from that workout."

Trey laughs. "If that's what you want to call it..."

I scoot under his comforter to the bottom of his bed. My clothes are in a pile on the floor. I grab them and change under the comforter. Trey laughs at me.

"I don't get you."

"I'm quirky. That's why you love me."

"Right..."

"Shut up."

"I love you!" he shouts, pouncing on me and kissing me.

"Shh! We're on sexual probation, remember?"

"Can't say I do," Trey says, sliding a hand up my shirt.

"Uh oh. I've corrupted you."

"Not quite yet."

"Damn. Dinner?"

"Mmph. Alright."

I watch him while he changes- so maybe I'm a hypocrite- then sneak out. Undetected. How did I ever doubt my invincibility? I'm practically a ninja.


	11. NOT Fuck Buddy

**Nightmares**

AN: Reeeeead. Thank you.

My phone starts vibrating. It's my alarm. My sneak-around alarm. I turn it off and look around. Coast clear. Alrighty then. I get out of bed- yanking down the hem of my shorts- and take a step. So far, so good. Step, step, step, stick. I can't move in that direction, towards the window. It's like an invisible barrier or something. I turn and walk to the door. Barrier. This reminds me of something, but what?

I plop back down at my bed, bouncing a little. Aha. I bounce a couple of times before flinging myself towards the barrier. I crash into it- Silently, thank god. I can't go hrough it, can't go over it, and I don't even want to try going under it. I close my eyes and try to figure out what the hell is nagging at my subconscience. Circus. Clowns. _Mimes_. Genius. I walk up to the barrier and pretend to close my hand over a doorknob. I turn, step forward, and... Voila. Kerra Avery, escape artist, at your service.

I don't need to go any further, so I shut the "door" and go back to bed. Mission accomplished, much?

I miss Trey the next morning, sleeping in instead of getting up for breakfast. Potions goes well. I clue Hermione in on the plan. And I think I'm Snake's new favorite, what with my innate potion-making skills. Hey, I might get an A after all.

"I don't understand why he likes you. I mean, he hates Gryffindors."

I think Hermione has serious issues with Snake. Yes, he's scary looking and could use a tan, but he's not that bad.

"I dunno, Hermione. You have to admit, I did good yesterday."

Hermione shrugs and gathers her things as the bell rings. Good. Divination. I get there after Draco and plop down next to him, closer than I'd usually sit.

"Hi, Draco."

"Hello?"

"I'm sorry. I was rude to you yesterday."

"And?"

"Look, I need a favor. I'm going to London tomorrow. Will you come with me?"

"What're you doing?"

"I need to get my boyfriend- uh, ex-boyfriend- put in jail."

"And what do I get out of it?"

"Me," I say, trying to sound seductive.

"Really?"

"I swear. I'll go out with you."

"Minimum of five dates."

"Alright."

"At least two weeks."

"Fine."

"And Donahue?"

"It's for his own good."

Technically, not a lie. Not a real answer, either.

"It's a deal."

"Good."

Draco reaches out and takes my hand. I manage- barely- not to yank my hand away and start screaming. I slide my fingers between his and smile. I have boy issues. He holds my hand all the way to Herbology, where he makes me sit with him at his desk- on his lap- until the bell rings. I try not to run to my seat, but it's an effort. He watches me during class. He sits behind me, so I can't actually see him, but I can feel his gaze.

Instead of going to lunch, Draco leads me to an empty hallway. This is where he proceeds to pin me to the wall and kiss me forcibly.

"Dra-co!"

"No. You're my girlfriend, remember?"

He slides his hands up my shirt as he continues to kiss me.

"Mmph! Yeah, girlfriend! _Not_ fuck buddy!"

Draco slides his hands over my breasts, under my bra, causing me to shiver. And not in a bad way. I moan into his mouth, a real, genuine moan. And that scares the shit out of me. I hear footsteps and look up. Snake. He just looks the other direction. I'm sure he's just pleased to death about his two favorite students hooking up in the hallway. Pervy? Slightly. But way convenient that it was him and not somebody like Trey.

And here comes Harry. Dear god, there is no privacy in this school. Confusion registers on his face, then anger. He runs up to us and punches Draco.

"Don't touch her!"

"She wanted it. Didn't you hear her moans, Potter?"

Harry frowns. I try to tell him with my eyes to back off. Not happening.

"Go talk to Trey, he'll tell you."

"I think I will," he says, punching Draco one last time before taking off.

I fake like a good girlfriend and kiss Draco's wounds. "Are you okay, Draco? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No. Potter's too weak."

"Like a kid," I say.

Draco kisses me, all soft and sweet and gentle. I'm starting to get the picture. He's gonna kiss me either way. If I'm cooperative, he's gentle. If I'm not... Well, the word rape springs to mind. I kiss him back obediently.

"Can we go to lunch?"

"But then I'd have to leave you."

"Please, honey? I didn't eat breakfast."

Draco's hand goes up my shirt, removing my bra. He stuffs it in the pocket of his robes after giving it a quick sniff.

"You can have your bra back if you meet me in front of the Slytherin dungeon."

"Right-o."

I kiss him before heading in the direction of the Great Hall. I go to the Gryffindor tower first, though. Let's face it, if you have breasts, you really need a bra. Ahem, people that like to go braless. I obtain one and quickly dress so I can get back down to the Great Hall in time for lunch. I sit with my usual group- Trey, as decided, sits further down the table from us, so as to keep up the illusion for Draco.

"Thanks for punching Draco, Harry. Talk to Trey?"

"Yeah. I get the plan now. Still, he was _touching_ you."

"I know, I didn't care for it all that much myself."

Lie. You enjoyed his touch. Shut up, conscience.

"He had his hands under your bra!" Hermione says, entirely too loudly.

I blush. "Yeah. I was there."

"I don't like Malfoy," Ron says, taking another bite of his lunch.

"Could we please move on? You know how Trey and I are on lockdown at night?"

"Yeah?" they say together.

"Well, I found a way around that. One word: Mimes."

"Mimes? Mimes are right up there with clowns!" Harry says.

"And spiders!"

Hermione and I roll our eyes at the boys. I really need to stop talking to these boys. Hell, boys in general, with my track record.


	12. Just Call Me Kerra

**Nightmares**

AN: This is, what, my fourth chapter today? I think so. Exciting.

I continue on with my classes, doing as expected in Muggle Studies and History of Magic (yawn). I wander around the ground floor until I find Draco waiting for me.

"Hey, beautiful," he says.

I roll my eyes. "The way you say that is just so fake."

"Hey, bitch."

"Don't push it."

"Then what do you want me to call you?"

"Kerra."

"No pet name?"

"No pet name."

"What did Donahue call you? Or that other guy?"

"That's personal."

"Tell me."

"No. Just call me Kerra, okay?"

"Fine. Let's go inside."

"Draco-"

"What?"

"Look, I made that mistake with Trey. We aren't doing it, not yet."

"Fine. I'll be good. Just come inside. Please."

I reach out to take his hand and he leads me inside. It's all cold and green and eerie. Draco leads me to a couch, where he pulls me onto his lap. We make out for some time, the other Slytherins in the common room staring at us. His hands glide over my body, making my clothes virtually pointless. His lips tear away from mine.

"You got another bra."

"Yup."

"That kind of defeats the purpose of me taking yours away."

"But I met you here anyway. Don't I get brownie points for that?"

"Fair enough."

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright."

He leans in to kiss me again, but my lips are about to fall off. So I lie down on the couch with my head in his lap. God, I really hope he doesn't get any ideas from this. He just pets my head, running his fingers through my hair. I let out a happy little sigh.

"Can't we just do more of this?"

"You like this better?"

"Yeah."

I tilt my lips up to his. "It actually turns me on."

Truth. Sordid truth. I kiss him and lie back on his lap.

"Thanks," I whisper, taking hold of his free hand.

"Blaise," Draco calls to the boy that walks in.

Blaise walks up to us. "What's up?"

"Not much."

"Kerra Avery."

"I know your name. Everyone knows it."

I shrug. "Alright then."

"I thought you were in Gryffindor."

"She is. But with the mind of a Slytherin."

"I chose to take that as a compliment," I say.

"It is a compliment. You're quick and cunning."

"So why aren't you a Slytherin?" Blaise asks. "Half blood?"

"Uhm, that would be easy to answer except I don't know who my mom is."

"I'm sorry, Ker," Draco whispers.

"See? Was that so hard?"

"What?"

"Calling me Ker."

"Oh. See you later, Blaise."

Blaise rolls his eyes at the dismissal but leaves.

"Tell me about your family situation."

"Well, my dad's a wizard. He and my mom had me when she was sixteen and he was twenty-three, and she took off and left me with him. He already had another kid, my sister Becky, with another woman. We don't talk about her."

"Oh."

"How about yours?"

"My dad... He has issues. My mum's in Azkaban. And you know my sister."

"She's nice. Looks a little like-"

"Dakota Fanning in _Uptown Girls_?"

"Oh, my god. You watched that movie?"

"With Alodia," he emphasizes.

"I still love you."

Oh, shit.

"You what?"

"I still love you?"

Shit.

"Love you, too."

He kisses me. I try not to hyperventilate.

"So if you love me-"

"Still not having sex."

"Fine."

But he keeps playing with my hair. I shouldn't have told him about it being a turn-on. I remove his hands from my hair, place them under my shirt, and kiss him like I would kiss Trey.


	13. Too Naked and Too Close for My Liking

**Nightmares**

AN: Thanks to AveryImrie for reviewing. Check your email, Rose.

Being Draco's girlfriend is no easy task. He's overly possessive, worse than Alec. But I need him. So after our impossibly long make-out session (and a freakin' huge hickey above my left breast), I return to the Gryffindor tower to brush my teeth for a good five minutes. When my mouth tastes overpoweringly minty, I join my friends for a study session.

"I miss you," I whisper to Trey as I pass him in his seat.

His hand reaches back to brush against mine for a brief moment, and then I continue down the table and plop down on the other side of Hermione.

"I can't believe Snape isn't making you do the essay," Ron complains.

"Well, he was right about me needing to study."

"Still..."

"Which totally reminds me, Snape is one creepy dude."

"What'd he do?" Hermione asks, taking the bait.

"Alright, so I was with Draco and he had me pinned up against the wall, his lips chafing mine, his hands feeling me up under my bra, and-"

"He what?"

"Oh. I thought Harry told you."

"He just asked what was going on with you and Malfoy."

"I punched him for you," Harry offers. "Twice."

"Gave him a good bruise, too," I say with a smirk.

"Nice."

"You just let him touch you?"

"I'm pretending to be his girlfriend, remember?"

"No. I don't want him touching you. Call it off."

"I told you to quit with the jealousy shit, Trey. It's ugly. I'm not cheating on you."

"Kerra, if I was your boyfriend, I'd be upset, too."

I turn to Harry. "Not helping."

"Well, it's true."

I reach across Hermione and touch my hand to Trey's chest, right over his heart. "This is where my heart is, Trey."

He brings my hand to his lips, kissing my fingertips. "I know."

"So, you and Malfoy were in the hall..." Hermione reminds me.

"Right. And he was violating me and Snape just walked past without saying anything."

"Yeesh."

"That's kind of disturbing," Trey says.

"I know, right? I thought teachers were supposed to stop those sorts of things."

"Not Snape, apparently."

I flip through my History of Magic book. It's the subject I need the most catching up in. I'm totally in my study mode when Alodia runs up and hugs me.

"Hey, kid," I gasp, pulling her arms away from my throat so I can breathe.

"You're dating him!"

"Uhm, yes."

"I've always wanted a big sister!"

"Hey, whoa there. We're not that serious," I say. "Scoot. We're studying."

Alodia takes off, humming a happy little tune.

"I'm not sure whether I like her or want to shoot her in the foot," I say softly.

I look around Hermione at Trey. He smiles at me. Best. Boyfriend. Ever.

"Can I see you tonight?" I mouth.

He nods and places his hand over his heart, where I'd touched him.

"Love you, too," I mouth.

"Back to work, you two," Hermione says, interrupting the moment without looking up from her homework.

I frown but comply. I stare down at the book but I find myself unable to focus on anything other than fantasies of Trey. After coming out of my stupor, I remember my promise to meet Draco tonight. Ugh. I suppose if I visit Trey first- he'd be content with sex- then go see Malfoy- and try not to wind up in his bed- I could manage it. I retire to my bed early, too depressed by the thought of not getting any sleep to care about getting dinner.

The alarm goes off entirely to soon. I mime my way to Trey's room and have sex with him. I shower before continuing on to date number two. Draco's waiting for me out in front of the Slytherin dungeon.

"Sorry, I took a long shower to wake up," I manage to get out before he kisses me.

I give him what he wants- a low, satisfied moan in his mouth- before pulling away. "Let's go in before we get caught."

We slip inside and stand around awkwardly.

"I don't suppose you want to have sex?"

"No."

"Then what should we do?"

"Can we just hang out on the couch again?"

"Hanging out" proves to be more heavy petting and making out than anything else. His hands undress me, my tank going first, then my boxer shorts. Good thing I wore matching underwear. The next thing I know, his shirt's off, and we're both too naked and too close for my liking. I push him off me.

"What'd I say, Draco? Put your shirt back on."

He obeys. "Sorry."

I yank my PJs on. "Don't push your luck, Draco. I'm in charge here."

"Alright. Sorry again."

"I'm going to leave now. See you tomorrow."

"Love you, too."

And it's a lie, the one thing I'm so happy is actually a lie and not the truth.


	14. London

**Nightmares**

AN: Just a few more chapters. Then, sequel time! :D

I wake up in a fairly good mood until I get in the shower and realize what today is. D-Day. Fantastic. I contemplate whether I should go to class or just go straight to London. I really can't focus on class right now. I write Hermione notes to give to Draco and Trey, then get dressed (packing a change of clothes in my purse), and fly to London. I get a room for the day at the same hotel Alec's staying at. It makes me nervous as hell to be in the same building with him, but you know what they say about keeping friends close and enemies closer. Only, I'm not entirely sure which category Alec falls under.

I re-shower and take advantage of the blow dryer attached to the wall. Ahh, how I missed this. I finish with my hair, re-dress in my v-neck and skinny jeans, do my makeup, and then flop down on the bed. I turn the TV on, more for background noise than anything else. I paint my nails as Spongebob goes on with his mindless chatter in the background. Mindless is good. I need to focus on tonight right now, and nothing else. Halfway through the day I get bored and go out on the balcony. I'm on the floor above Alec, so I don't have to worry about him seeing me. People are outside the workplace for a quick lunch at the variety of places on this block. I glance down the road. Coffee shop. I could use a coffee. I slide on some sunglasses, don a baseball cap, and head outside. I doubt Alec'll actually be out of his room, but it's better to be safe than sorry. This is a concept I'm picking up on real fast.

I acquire a huge cappuccino and return to the hotel. Some people glance at me for a moment longer than I'd like as I pass by. Wondering if I'm some random celebrity hiding out from the paparazzi, probably. No, just an average teenage girl hiding from her crazy killer ex-boyfriend. I flash them a knowing smile and a little wave, hoping to convince them otherwise. I let a few snap pictures with their phones before running across the street. I retrieve a suspicious item from an acquaintance of mine before going back to the hotel.

The little celebrity stunt outside reminds me of Shelby. We used to do that all the time in San Diego. The locals can spot fakes, but tourists are such suckers for it. It's particularly convincing if you run into a male celebrity on the beach and hang out with him for hours. Most of them think it's funny. Some do not. The ones that don't will ask you to please identify yourself as a look-alike of the woman you are impersonating next time, as they had a one-night stand and he knocked her up and never called her back. Ahem.

The coffee makes me even more restless, so I pull out that sleeping potion I made. I drink half the bottle, leaving extra for later. Or tomorrow. After tonight, I'm going to really need some of this tomorrow.

I can think of a handful of things that bother me the moment I wake up. One, it's reeeeally dark outside. Two, the phone's ringing. Three, the glass door to the balcony is open. Four, Draco Malfoy's hovering over me. Which leads me to number five, I'm on the floor. Also, six, I'm back in my underwear in front of Draco again.

"What the hell?" I mumble sleepily.

"Come on, get up, get ready."

"What. The. Hell."

"Oh, this, sorry. I had the people at the front desk call you but you didn't wake up. So I got up here and I tried but couldn't wake you up. You were just in your underwear so I figured I'd do the gentlemanly thing and cover you, but then you rolled over and woke up and here we are now."

Seven, what the hell happened to Spongebob?

"C'mon, get ready."

"It's still early."

"Do you want to be stuck outside, waiting in line at the club?"

"No... Which reminds me..."

I dig into the pockets of my jeans and pull out his fake I.D.

"Here."

He catches it and glances at it. "Let me guess, you already have one."

"Yeah. Alec and I would go party all the time in San Diego."

"Why?"

"The nightmares. You can't have nightmares if you black out."

Draco strokes my head, running his fingers through my hair, before pressing his lips to mine.

"Get ready," he whispers.

I walk to my purse and pull out the dress I brought. The one I wore to Homecoming about a year ago, the one I was wearing when Alec shot Shelby. I slip into it, glad it looks more like a dress for clubbing than an actual Homecoming dress.

"Are you sure he'll be there?"

"Oh, he'll be there."

I grab my platform heels and sit on the bed to pull them on.

"Draco? Follow my lead in there, alright? He's dangerous."

"Whatever you say," he whispers in my ear, sending goosebumps all over my body.

"I say don't drink, but have an empty glass in your hand."

"Why?"

"So he thinks you're at the very least a little tipsy. Tipsy people aren't much of a threat."

"So, what exactly are we doing?"

"Having a good old-fashioned bar fight. Just, whatever you do, don't throw the first punch."

"Why the bloody hell not?"

"We're trying to get him put away for assault. It hardly counts as assault if you hit him first."

"Right."

"Just say things that would bother him."

"About us?"

"Yeah."

"Like your birthmark?"

My birthmark is a brown, lemon-shaped spot low on the left side of my waist. I hadn't realized he'd seen it.

"Yeah."

"And your scar, here?" Draco asks, touching below my right breast, off to the side.

"Yeah," I say breathily.

I hadn't realized how observant he is.

"And how you love this?" he asks, running a hand through my hair.

I lean into him, my lips colliding with his. I barely manage to tear away from him before doing what would surely end my relationship with Trey.


	15. Nauseatingly Sterile Stench

**Nightmares**

AN: Thank you, Rose, for pointing out that I have been neglecting Hubert. Sorry, Hubert.

I link my arm with Draco's as we cross the street. I'm about an inch taller than him in my heels, which makes me realize he's shorter than Alec. Trey, too, I think. Sure carries himself like he's six-five though. I lead him up to the front of the line for the club while people look on with agitated expressions. But I know from experience that if you've got a pretty face, you can get away with skipping the line. Okay, maybe I'm a tad vain. The bouncer looks me over.

"I.D.?"

"Told you they'd card me, honey," I giggle.

I pull the fake from between my breasts and hand it to the bouncer. He barely glances at it before handing it back.

"Go on in," he says.

I flash Draco a grin before dragging him inside. It's crowded even though it's a Wednesday night- obviously a popular place. We push through the dancing mass to the bar. Beer for Draco, vodka (neat, duh) for me.

"What does he look like?" Draco shouts over the blaring music.

"Tall. Dirty blond. He'll be wearing a black leather jacket, white v-neck, and tight jeans. And he'll have a gun."

I drag Draco to the bathroom and have him dump most of his beer while I sip my vodka. I glance around for the pay phones- Trey's huddled over one, trying to talk over the noise. I down my vodka, pull Draco into the midst of the grinding bodies, and start dancing.

Alec sees me before I see him- I glance toward the door and he's walking toward us. Very purposefully, like if he was in the movies there'd be flames at his feet and wind whipping his jacket around. Damn hot, that one. I try to look surprised, the happy kind, and a little embarrassed.

"Alec!"

His gun flashes from its location in the waistband of his tight-fitting jeans, over the white v-neck. Who called it? He doesn't draw the gun but rests his hand on it. I run up to him, gripping his arm.

"I didn't think you'd be here. I'm sorry."

"Your ex told me you'd be here with him."

Alec's hand settles for a moment on my cheek.

"Trey knew?"

"He called me and told me."

Alec takes a few steps further until he's right in front of Draco, using his height to his advantage. I dig my nails into Alec's arm out of fear for Draco. Alec looks down at me and laughs.

"It's one thing to cheat on me, but with this little prick?"

I bite my lip and blush.

"You wouldn't just be trying to piss me off, would you?"

He looks back at Draco. "That's it, isn't it? She wouldn't sleep with you."

Draco blushes at the harsh truth of Trey's words, but sticks to the script.

"How else would I know about her birthmark?"

"What is it?" Alec asks tersely.

"The lemon. There."

Draco points but makes no attempt to actually touch me.

"And playing with her hair turns her on."

Alec grabs my wrist, digging his nails in. Ow.

"Her bra size is thirty-four D. She likes lace underwear."

I have an urge to pull Hubert from his place in the back of my bra and hex him.

"Shut up," I whisper, hiding my blush behind Alec's arm.

"She has a scar below her right breast."

Alec draws the gun so fast that you can tell he's comfortable and familiar with the motion. I stop him from pointing it at Draco.

"Please, Alec, you'll go to jail if you shoot him."

Alec pauses, replaces the gun, shrugs me off, then punches Draco as hard as he can. Something pops- his jaw, I think- and he falls to the ground, writhing in agony. The people nearest us stop dancing and start staring. I drop to the floor next to Draco, who has blood spilling from his mouth.

"Someone call the police!" someone shouts.

"Let's go, Kerra," Alec says, lifting me easily and dragging me to toward the door.

I pull his gun and point it at him. He smirks.

"You wouldn't shoot me."

"You're right."

I turn the gun, press the barrel to my right hip, opposite my birthmark, and pull the trigger. I hear three voices call my name as my knees give out and I pass out on the floor.

I only have blurry glimpses of the next twenty-four or so hours.

Being lifted off the floor.

The flashing lights of the ambulance.

Searing pain, bloody cloths everywhere.

The nauseatingly sterile stench of the hospital.

My visitors- My boys, all three of them, but never together. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the ginger twins. Dumbledore. My dad and some woman I don't recognize. Shelby- no, Leslie- and Becky.

I come to when Leslie's with me.

"You're crazy," she whispers.

"He's going to jail," I manage to choke out.

"I sure hope so."

"So... What's been going on?"

"Your dad's engaged."

"Oh, wow."

"She seems nice enough."

"I didn't even know he was dating anyone."

"Speaking of dating... There are seven boys waiting out there for you."

"I'm only involved with three of them," I say, pressing the button by my bed. "I want some water, dammit."

I proceed to explain the whole situation to Leslie before the doctor comes in. He checks my vitals on the monitor.

"Good to see you awake, Kerra. How do you feel?"

"Tired. Ouchie. Water," I prompt, holding my hand out for the cup.

The doctor- Dr. Charleston, I gather from his name tag- smiles and hands it to me.

"You lost alot of blood. The bullet punctured your right ovary, and we had to remove it. Your menstrual cycle will probably be off for a while, and you'll have a harder time conceiving in the future."

I think about it. I never really thought I wanted kids, but having the option nearly taken away from me pisses me off.

"Did you know you were pregnant?"

"What?"

"We found a fertilized egg amongst all the blood."

I'm not sure whether I'm relieved or depressed. Leslie squeezes my hand.

"Do you know who would've been the father?"

"Yeah," I say, the tears starting to well up.

Leslie hands me a tissue.

"And... You can't put it back in?"

"Unfortunately, no. Your body needs to rest."

"Can I go now?"

"If you'd like. But you'll have to stay in bed as much as possible. You really need to take it easy so your body can recover."

"Fine."

"No running or school or sex for at least a month."

"Okay."

"I'm going to write you a prescription for pain relievers. One a day should do it."

"Thanks. Is anyone else here?"

"Nobody left."

"Leslie? Can you get Trey for me?"

"Alright. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah. I just need some time alone with Trey."

"Press that button if you need anything."

"Thanks, Dr. Charleston."

The two leave, and Trey comes in. Even when he closes the door, I can hear Alec shouting about how he should get to see me first. I sit up and cling to Trey's body.

"Hey, it's okay. The doctor said you'll be fine."

"I was going to have a baby."

"Mine?"

"Yeah."

Trey holds me close to him, smoothing my hair against my head, not minding that what's left of my mascarais being smudged into his shirt.

"Come on, it's okay. We aren't ready to be parents."

"But that was _our_ baby. And I killed it."

"It was Alec's fault."

"I pulled the trigger."

Trey tilts my face up so I have to make eye contact.

"Listen to me. You can't blame yourself for what happened. You didn't know. You were trying to get your best friend's killer put in jail. Your heart was in the right place."

"I didn't mean to kill it."

"I know, sweetie, I know."

"I want to leave. I can't stand this place."

"Are you sure you're up for it?"

"Yeah."

Trey helps me into my v-neck and jeans- the ones I'd left at the hotel, washed and brought to me courtesy of Draco. I run my fingers over my stitches, wincing. Which reminds me...

"Draco? Is he alright?"

Trey laughs. "Yeah. But they numbed his jaw, so he can't talk all that well."

"I thought Alec pretty much broke his jaw-"

"Kerra Avery, Trey Donahue, you're under arrest."


	16. Sorta Happy Ending

**Nightmares**

AN: I had this up, accidentally replaced it with the epilogue, and had to retype it. Gah.

The police had arrested Draco and Alec, too, and stuck us all in a cell together. I immediately plop down on the bench, exhausted and dizzy from standing. Trey and Alec sit down on either side of me, leaving Draco to take the seat next to Trey.

"Are you alright?" they all ask, sounding like a bunch of nonsense.

Particularly Draco.

"First of all, no. I shot myself. Secondly, I need some space. Trey is my boyfriend. Trey can sit here and hold my hand and ask if I'm alright. I don't need three of you doing it."

"Look, Alec... I loved you once. We were crazy in love and I thought we always would be. The more I'm with you, the more I remember that. But you killed Shelby. She was my best friend, and you killed her. And I can't forgive you for doing that.

"And Draco, yeah, we have chemistry. We would have fun together. But I'd never forgive myself for betraying Trey by having a fling with you.

"Trey. I love you. I haven't even known you for a week, but I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You're good for me, and if I behave, we'll have a great relationship. We almost had a baby. I'd like to have one for real sometime."

I sigh, tired from talking so much.

"We can definitely have a baby," Trey says, taking my hand.

"We can _try_. The doctor said it might be difficult."

"We _will_ have one. Just say when."

"Thanks."

"Can you not rub it in?" Alec asks, irritated.

We sit in silence until one of the guards comes down the hall. He opens the door halfway.

"Avery, Donahue, Malfoy, you're free to go."

"What about Alec?" I ask as my ex helps me up.

"As requested by the District Attorney, Mr. Morrison is being deported back to San Diego."

"Kerra!" Alec calls as we start to leave. "I love you."

"See you in court," I reply coldly.

Dumbledore's waiting for us outside with a cab. We take it back to the hospital to say goodbye to my family and pick up the other Hogwarts kids that are still there.

"I'm Jezebel. Call me Jezzie," my stepmom-to-be says, hugging me.

"Nice to meet you. I'll be back in San Diego soon," I say. "Don't have the wedding until I'm off for summer break."

"Alright. Love you, Bear. Take care," my dad says.

I move on to Becky, hugging her and whispering in her ear, "Keep an eye on them for me."

Leslie. I flash a smile and hug her.

"See you in court?"

"Naturally," I say. "I want to make sure he goes to jail for good this time."

"Hang on to your boyfriend. He's a good guy," she says with a knowing smile.

"Will do. See you soon."

All of us that belong at Hogwarts leave and climb into the magically enlarged cab. We stop by a pharmacy and pick up my pills before continuing on to Kings' Cross, where the Hogwarts Express is waiting for us. I pop a pill, finish off what remains of my sleeping potion, and fall asleep on the Express.

I wake up in the middle of the next day. Try waking up someplace that you didn't fall asleep in. Freakin' disorienting. Everyone'll still be in class for at least another hour, so I treat myself to a toasty bubble bath. I soak until I can't stand the pruneyness of my fingers, then pull on a tank top and some sweat pants and my biggest, warmest sweatshirt. I sit under a window and read a book until I hear voices downstairs.

"Hey, guys," I say, spotting my friends around a fire.

"Ker," Trey says, standing and hugging me. "Are you alright?"

"Perfectly pleasant. I could do with some ice cream, though."

"About what I said earlier..."

"I'll be taking you up on that offer. In a couple years."

"And I was thinking, maybe we're missing something?"

I glance at our friends, all of them leaning over the back of the couch to stare at us.

I frown. "Can't think of anything."

"Well, maybe some day we could get married?"

He pulls a small, velvety box from his pocket and pops it open.

I nod and sit down, feeling a little breathless. "Yeah, maybe we could."

Trey kneels in front of me and slides it on before getting up and kissing me, effectively sealing the deal.


	17. Epilogue

**Nightmares**

AN: Well, here it is. I cried a little. Starting the sequel now that this is done.

It's been a week since the whole shooting-myself fiasco, and the doctor finally cleared me to fly to San Diego. After a brief layover in Chicago, we arrive in San Diego at about 2 p.m. We separate for awhile- Draco checks into his hotel while Trey and I go to our houses. I spend about an hour with my family- and Jezzie- before Trey picks me up. Draco's already in the car, starting to turn a little pink from the sun.

"SPF 50," I say, handing the sunblock to him and climbing in between them.

"Thanks. Nice house."

"My dad's an anesthesiologist. We're well enough off."

We spend the day on the beach- Draco building a sand castle when he's not slathering on sunblock, Trey swimming and surfing, and me tanning because I'm not supposed to move much. Then, when it gets dark, we brush off the sand, pile into Trey's car, and go back to our houses (hotel, in Draco's case). I get dropped off first and quickly kiss Trey before climbing out.

"See you guys in court tomorrow," I say, waving as they pull away.

I go to bed early to make sure I'm well-rested, but find myself having a nightmare. Two nightmares, actually. One is from Alec. The other is natural, or supernatural, or whatever you want to call it. The kind of nightmare that I get on my own. Which scares the hell out of me, because that means someone's going to die.

My nightmare won't fully manifest itself. I can't see people or places or anything. There's just darkness and a strong feeling of hatred. I wake up with crippling pain, so bad that I'm unable to move when I wake up. I'm trembling so hard when the pain stops that I'm practically spasming. But I shower and get dressed in a classy blouse and pencil skirt, carrying a jacket because I know it'll be cold in the courtroom.

It's hours later when I step up to the witness stand, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God, and tell the story that I've been rehearsing in my head. I go over the phone call with Alec that lead up to his shooting Shelby. The nightmares that plagued me that threatened my friends. The plan to get him arrested so that we could get him back in court.

Then I step down, and Trey goes up and says his bit. Then Draco. Alec's lawyer reminds the jury that something crucial is missing, the one thing that would make Alec guilty- the gun. The gun I'd hidden for a year in a shoebox in my closet. The gun with Alec's fingerprints and Shelby's blood. The gun that allows the jury to come back in a matter of minutes with two charges. Guilty of assault, not guilty of second-degree murder. Two years in prison.

I see Leslie's mom rise out of the corner of my eye and shoot Alec.

Leslie and I scream. Her, for her mom. Me, for Alec, slumped over the defendant's table. The guards arrest Leslie's mom while I run to Alec. Trey starts to stop me, but lets me go.

"Oh, god, Alec. Stay with me, Alec. Stay with me. Don't you dare die, Alec."

"I love you," he manages to say around the blood pouring from his mouth. "Hakuna Matata."

That used to be our thing, whenever something bad happened. Hakuna Matata, no worries. I try to wipe away my tears so I can see, but they're pouring down to fast.

"No. Stop it. You're not dying. Do you hear the ambulance outside? You're going to make it, Alec."

He shakes his head, and I know he's right. I wrap my arms around him, letting him bleed on me.

"I love you."

"See you... In your nightmares."

He coughs up blood one last time, and his body relaxes.

The EMTs pronounce him dead on arrival.

Leslie's mom goes to jail.

Trey and I go to Alec's funeral.

My dad and Jezzie adopt Leslie.

Trey, Draco, and I go back to Hogwarts.

And life goes on.


End file.
